“Crenshaw Line Has Broken Ground, Will Have Underground Stations and Crenshaw Plaza Access”

Robert Ball, the project manager for the Crenshaw Line light rail project, stopped by a recent meeting of the Transit Coalition advocacy group and, according to their newsletter, had lots of juicy details on the project, which will connect the Green Line to the Expo Line (and hopefully get riders to LAX, likely via a people mover). The biggest news was that a contractor has already been hired to build the line, and a ceremonial groundbreaking was held June 4 (who knew?). The eight and a half mile line should be relatively speedy, as Ball said it was 55 percent grade-separated, meaning it runs above or below the street. Because of pressure from Los Angeles World Airports (which operates LAX) and the FAA, the train will run in a trench near the airport, and then mostly travel along the Harbor Subdivision railroad right-of-way. Ball also noted that the first Inglewood station will be a subway stop and will be built east of La Brea, since the Inglewood fault runs right under the boulevard.